But that's something she hasn't been able to do for nearly a year. Her apartment in the Midland Beach area flooded during Hurricane Sandy, devastated everything she owned, and put an end to her home-based tutoring business.

Ms. Abdalla has been living in the Ramada Inn in Willowboork via a city-run temporary housing program since February.

But now the program has also come to an end.

She is one of 48 Staten Islanders -- from a total of 27 households -- who will have to vacate hotels on Friday due to the termination of the temporary housing program overseen by the city Department of Homeless Services and funded by FEMA. On Friday, a state court judge vacated an injunction that had been in place since May.

If the residents don't find more permanent housing, they will be referred to the city's homeless shelter system.

"For over 10 months, the city has dedicated tremendous effort and resources to more than 3,000 individuals displaced by Hurricane Sandy," said Michael A. Cardozo of the NYC Corporation Counsel.

"Interim housing, along with intensive case management services, was provided but was never intended to be a permanent solution. As the court has recognized, the city cannot afford to single-handedly continue this program in the absence of FEMA funding. All participating households without an exit plan may access DHS shelter, where social services staff will continue to work closely with the remaining households to identify suitable housing options."

Like Ms. Abdalla, some Sandy victims qualify for the Temporary Disaster Assistance Program, which allows for a rental subsidy for a period of time. The problem, however, is finding a landlord to accept the city voucher, and securing an apartment by Friday.

"I have been crying all day. I was hoping the program would be extended. I have nowhere to go. I have no family here. I don't know what I'm going to do on Oct. 4. They didn't give us enough time," she said.

"I just got my voucher. Some people didn't even get theirs yet," added Ms. Abdalla, who is hoping to get a job as a receptionist.

"I just want to find an apartment in a safe neighborhood," she added, noting that she has been searching Craig's List to find an apartment, to no avail.

In addition, she has been working with a city caseworker, as well as Catholic Charities, since Friday in hopes of finding a suitable home for her and her son.

Immediately following the storm, there were about 45 rooms at The Ramada dedicated to displaced Hurricane Sandy victims, said Chintan Khamar, hotel manager. Currently, there are about eight rooms of Sandy victims at the hotel, he said.

Khamar said most Sandy victims were upset they need to scramble for a more permanent housing solution.

"Each household is case-managed by a social services provider and was notified in person last Friday of the program closing," said the DHS spokeswoman.

"Over the next week, they will have the ability to work with their case manager to reconnect with friends and relatives. They may continue their hotel stay if they have means, or they may access the city shelter system and its full complement of services if they have no other option," she added.

There were 201 households or 432 Staten Islanders who participated in the program from its inception in mid-November, according to a DHS spokeswoman.

According to court papers, in May there were 395 households remaining in the hotel program, with 239 linked to housing programs and 156 with "no transition plans."

As of Sept. 19, 179 households citywide remained in the program, with 76 linked to a permanent housing program, five awaiting repairs to their homes, 94 in the TDAP application process, and four no longer receiving DHS payments.

Prior to the termination of the city programs, FEMA's Transitional Sheltering Assistance program, which also paid for hotel rooms for displaced Hurricane Sandy victims, came to an end in September.